keep your energy high through winter

Hibernating, hunkering down & Wintering

There is a season for everything…nature reminds us that it is not possible to bloom 365 days of the year. The Spring blossom is stunning for a very short time, but only because so much work has gone on behind the scenes to make this annual event as spectacular as it is.

Wintering is a time for hibernating and hunkering down. It can be a wonderful time to slow the pace of life down, take time to review, reassess and start to think about plans in place for future blooming. Though a slower pace is needed to rejuvenate it is important to also try and keeping your energy high during Winter. I don’t mean the kind of energy that has you running 10k in the dark each morning…I have yet to ever find that energy…I am talking about the kind of energy that lifts your soul. It can be challenging to keep this energy high, especially I find at this time of year, with shorter, chillier days here in Melbourne. There are a few tricks that can make the days easier though x

6 tips of things you could do to lift your energy on a grey day

1. Take Time to Breathe…breathe in and out 3 times.  Just 5 minutes break from those thoughts buzzing around our heads can truly make the rest of the day better.
   

2. Go for a walk…yes common sense, but often so hard to make time for.  The steps don’t need to be counted..just being outside in natural light with fresh air helps clear away those brain cobwebs.
   

3. Cook something new…just because we aren’t in Europe this Summer it doesn’t mean we can’t cook up the feeling.
   

4. Sow some seeds….sowing seeds could also mean manifesting some future dreams…I often have to remind myself what it is I am working towards.  It is so easy to get sucked into the day to day. Make sure to take time to dream.
   

5. Create a music playlist with songs that never fail to make you feel good and dance around the kitchen.  It’s impossible to be grumpy when your fav tune comes on.
   

6. Create something...bringing something into the world that didn't exist before is such an energy booster...create something you would like to find in the world. My studio is my dopamine den...who can be miserable surrounded by these colours every day. Here are some paintings I am working on for Spring fairs and shows. Brighten your surroundings x

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What's Inspiring & keeping me company

I have been hibernating in my studio, meditating, journalling, brainstorming, reading and channelling my energy into the paintings I want to come into bloom in the Spring.

As you know books & podcasts are my constant companion and really are a major contributor to helping me stay in a good mindset to be able to create work that I am happy to put out into the world.  Here are a few that have helped me get through the Winter so far.

Currently reading

Day Trader Attention by Gary Vaynerchuck Everyone has heard of Gary Vee haven’t they? Well if you haven't there are so many podcasts out there where you can hear Gary talk about his take on the modern marketing world along with his other bestselling books. I’m a sucker for a good business book and so far I am really enjoying this one.

The Courage to be Disliked by Ichiro Kishimi & Fumitake Koga A single book can change your life.

I had this book on my wish list for years and it wasn't until I saw a random post on Instagram this week that mentioned how freedom can be obtained by letting go of the need to be liked by everyone. It reminded me of this book in my wish list and I have listened to the whole thing in 2 days.

Already an enormous bestseller in Asia, with more than 3 million copies sold, The Courage to be Disliked demonstrates how to unlock the power within yourself to be the person you truly want to be.

The Thursday Murder Club by Richard Osman Four unlikely friends A shocking murder Welcome to THE THURSDAY MURDER CLUB.

In a peaceful retirement village, four unlikely friends meet up once a week to investigate unsolved murders.

But when a brutal killing takes place on their very doorstep, the Thursday Murder Club find themselves in the middle of their first live case.

Elizabeth, Joyce, Ibrahim and Ron might be pushing eighty but they still have a few tricks up their sleeves.

Again a podcast interview with the author led me to the first in this book series. Wonderful characters, light and witty with a bit of murder. I hear Netflix are making a movie of it and the cast of Helen Mirren, Julia Imrie, Pierce Brosnan, Ben Kingsley and Jonathan Pryce sounds amazing...can't wait.

fav podcast episodes

The Gathering Room Podcast with Martha Beck - Your Spiritual Brain

I have read all of Martha Beck's books and always enjoy her point of view. I have only recently discovered this podcast and find it very reassuring and calming. She always does a short meditation at the end which I now use this whenever I am feeling anxious or finding it difficult to turn off my brain to sleep. In this episode she talks about synchronicity. You can listen here Coincidentally, or not, this episode of the Mel Robbins podcast was sent to me the same day by my daughter and she is also discussing synchronicity. Definitely worth a listen here.

The Diary of a CEO - Simon Cowell - Loved this episode interviewing Simon Cowell. Listen here

I hope you are also doing some wonderful wintering work...I would love to hear about it x